2013 running diary – 73 of 500 kilometres

January ended with a disappointing 14km deficit from the target, thanks to some days inside due to snow and illness. I was determined to catch up a bit in February (there’s nothing like a target on a graph to be motivational!) and started off with an ill-advised 9k.

I was aiming for 10 and had to give up before I got there, and then felt like I’d overdone it for a while. However, it definitely helped kickstart the month in an effort to catch up.

As you can see from the graph, there was a moment where I was almost on target, but then things got a bit busy. I’d hoped to finish off the month with an extra run to reduce the gap further, but developed a bit of an ankle injury. It was a weird one, that didn’t appear on the day I ran, but developed through the next day. It was gone after a good night’s sleep but developed as I walked on it the next day as well. Some good rest helped though, and I’m back out again now in March.

However, the abrupt end February with roughly a 7k deficit. That’s halved the difference from January, and I’m still motivated to do even better this month. I’ve been messing about with the routes I run, reversing some sections and trying new directions, trying to manage the hills. Where there would previously be a steep climb or a mental obstacle like that, I’m trying to find new ways round.

Last year, I got into a rut of one single running route that ended in a hill. It would put me off so I’d always stop before it. What I’m trying to do now is have options so that if I’m feeling good, I can extend the run a bit without having to face a massive obstacle. It’s definitely helped as I’m regularly doing 4k now rather than the 3 and a bit of before.